Pholcus halabala species-group

Diagnosis. THIS SPECIES-GROUP (CORE-GROUP) CAN BE DISTINGUISHED FROM All KNOWN CONGENERS BY THE COMBINATION OF THE FOllOWING CHARACTERS: EIGHT EYES; ElONGATE OPISTHOSOMA POINTED DORSO-POSTERIORlY, WITH BlACK, WHITISH OR YEllOWISH SPOTS DORSAllY IN lIFE SPECIMENS; MAlE OCUlAR AREA WITH CONSPICUOUS MODIFIED SETAE; MAlE CHElICERAE WITH PROXIMO-lATERAl, DISTAl AND FRONTAl APOPHYSES, DISTAl APOPHYSES PROVIDED WITH TWO TEETH EACH; BUlB WITH UNCUS AND APPENDIX; PROCURSUS USUAllY WITH A DORSAl FlAP; EPIGYNUM WEAKlY SClEROTIZED, WITH A ‘KNOB’ (HUBER et al. 2016A).

Composition. THE SPECIES-GROUP NOW CONTAINS 21 SPECIES (CORE-GROUP: NINE SPECIES, TENTATIVE ASSIGNMENT- GROUP: 12 SPECIES) AND IS KNOWN FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA. OF THESE, THREE SPECIES ORIGINAllY ASSIGNED TO THIS SPECIES- GROUP ARE ASSIGNED TO THE CORE-GROUP: P. anaiensis YAO & LI, 2016, P. ballarini YAO & LI, 2016 AND P. zhuchuandiani YAO & LI, 2016; FIVE SPECIES, INClUDING ONE NEW SPECIES BElOW, ARE ASSIGNED TENTATIVElY TO THE SPECIES-GROUP FOR THE lACK OF A BETTER SOlUTION: P. cheni YAO & LI, 2017, P. gou YAO & LI, 2016, P. subwan YAO & LI, 2017, P. umphang YAO & LI sp. nov. AND P. wan YAO & LI, 2016.